Kallimachos’ halbe seele auf abwegen in Sagdirnixhausen

The article surveys relevant commentary on the Phaiakian passages of the Odyssey and proposes a new interpretation of the actions of the major figures in them. In particular, a concern for the security of his kingdom is found to motivate the easily misinterpreted remarks and actions of Alkinoös.     

Innovation in knowledge intensive industries: The nature and geography of knowledge links

Knowledge has become a key source of competitiveness for advanced regions and nations, indicating a transformation of capitalism towards a “knowledge economy”. Knowledge intensive sectors in production and in services have a lead in this respect, they can be considered as role models for the future. The innovation process, the mechanisms of knowledge exchange and the respective linkages in those industries differ quite markedly from those in other sectors. Clustering and local knowledge spillovers are frequently stated phenomena, although it is still unclear as to what the nature and geography of those knowledge links are. The aim of this paper is to examine the character of the innovation process and the type of interactions in those industries, in order to find out how strongly they are related to regional, national and international innovation systems. We will analyse the sources and the mechanisms of knowledge exchange and their relevance for innovation. The paper develops a typology of innovation interactions and provides empirical evidence for Austria based on data from a recent firm survey.     

Does Combinatorial Knowledge Lead to a Better Innovation Performance of Firms?

The knowledge base concept in the past was often applied in its “pure form”, i.e. it was assumed that there are dominant knowledge bases in particular sectors and firms shaping knowledge and innovation processes and related networks. For “analytical sectors” such as biotech, it has been argued that codified knowledge generated by universities and R&D organizations is the key for innovation, whereas “synthetic sectors” such as machinery innovate more incrementally by recombining existing knowledge often drawn from suppliers or service firms. Empirical literature has partly confirmed these patters, but also shown more complex knowledge processes. More recently it has been argued that combinations of different knowledge bases might enhance the innovation performance of firms. For example in “analytical sectors”, firms might benefit not just from new and basic knowledge generated by research, but also from recombining existing and applied knowledge or by drawing on symbolic knowledge. Combinatorial knowledge bases might also be relevant for “synthetic” and “symbolic sectors”, but in different forms. This study investigates for the ICT sector in regions of Austria if the reliance on combinatorial knowledge leads to a better innovation performance than the use of more narrow knowledge bases.     

792 or 793? Charlemagne’s canal project: craft,nature and memory

In autumn 793, Charlemagne visited the fossatum magnum (the ‘big ditch’ or canal) between the Rhine and Danube. Excavations, dendrochronology and a re‐reading of Carolingian Annals shed new light on the chronology and setting of this canal, which was planned in 792, initiated in 793, and abandoned later that year. The abandonment is attested by both written and archaeological evidence. The different versions of the annals offer a unique opportunity for comparison with the archaeological record. Evidence that works of Vitruvius circulated in the Carolingian court suggests that Charlemagne’s advisers were drawing on classical tradition when they pitched the idea of digging the canal.     

Der Kosmos und Kosmas

Kosmas Indikopleustes wird als Beispiel genommen für die durchgehenden Hemmnisse an einem wissenschaftlichen Fortschritt. Dieser war immerhin bei den Heiden in der klassischen Naturlehre für die klassische Physik gegeben. Weiters wird der Kosmos bei Kosmas und die klassischen Weltmodelle mit den neuesten Lehren der Entstehung des Kosmos kurz konfrontiert, um zu zeigen, wie sehr strenge, vor allem religiöse Ideologien seit dem Altertum für den Fortschritt hemmend gewirkt haben. Vor allem trat das dann ein, wenn der Versuch unternommen wurde, weitere Entwicklungen des Kosmos zu ergründen und diskutieren.     

Stadtgeographie und Kennzahlentheorie

Obwohl schon seit langem mathematisch–quantitative Verfahren in die Geographie Einzug gehalten haben, ist auff?llig, dass sich die Methoden der quantitativen Geographie seit ihrem Vordringen in den deutschen Sprachraum (etwa um das Jahr 1965) kaum weiterentwickelt haben. Dies ist besonders bemerkenswert, denn das erste bahnbrechende Werk einer theoretisch–quantitativen Geographie wurde bereits 1933 von Walter Christaller vorgelegt – allerdings zun?chst von der deutschen Geographie nicht anerkannt. Und so werden natürlich auch im Bereich der Angewandten Geographie heute immer noch diese “alten” quantitativen Verfahren verwendet. In den Nachbardisziplinen der Geographie jedoch – beispielsweise in der ?konomie oder auch in der Physik – sind die quantitativen Verfahren in st?ndiger Weiterentwicklung begriffen. Es scheint also durchaus gerechtfertigt und an der Zeit, “neue” Verfahren für die Geographie vorzustellen und zu testen.